Friday, January 25, 2013

DMC Review

Synopsis:In
a society infused with demons only The Order can, in Platonic style, see the
world for what it really is. Join Dante in a stylish action experience; chain
together multiple combos with flair and send the demonic spawn back to hell –
uncover the truth behind the lies.

Pros:

Cons:

Interesting Story Concept

Fluent Combat

Great Soundtrack

Newcomer Friendly

Lackluster Story

One-Noted Characters

No Lock-On System

Style Meter

Useless Devil Trigger

Review:Ninja
Theory took some bold steps when they decided to gamble with the Devil May Cry
series, is all the outcry genuine or just fanboy anger? Straight away this game
looks and feels like a Ninja Theory title from the visuals down to the combat
style. The story had plenty of great ideas and will probably stir debate with
all the political nuances. Luckily DMC hinges on a refined combat and not on
story direction. This aspect feels perfect and every weapon seems to have its
own weight, making transitions seem more real. To accompany an almost flawless
combat there is an amazing soundtrack that makes this game feel as though it
was cut from the same cloth as other Devil May Cry games. Though this may not
seem like a positive DMC is a perfect place for newcomers to the series. While
the combat can be hard on higher difficulties, the game overall isn’t extremely
tough and offers new players the chance to jump in.

Now
the bad side is a bit longer and showcases where Ninja Theory really dropped
the ball. Though the story seems interesting it falls apart at the seams when
the characters are boring and simple. No matter how much better the voice
acting is, it cannot save the completely one-noted cast. Obviously many are
upset with Dante’s appearance, I am not among them. What I dislike about Dante
is how they completely sapped all the funniness from his one-liners. I’m more
upset with how poorly Vergil was handed. This once dynamic and tortured
character has been turned into a faceless horror. A shell of his once self that
cares about nothing except being a prick. I hardly noticed the lead female enough
to be angry, her role was completely overlooked and she was more of a plot
device than a living breathing character. Let’s move on to combat, mainly the
lack of a Lock-On feature. I’m not entirely sure why they chose to ignore the
idea especially in a game like this. I can only assume it was to make the game
more difficult; however there is a difference between difficult and
frustrating. The lack of a Lock-On is what I honestly believe makes Devil
Trigger pointless, considering it tosses your enemies everywhere and
intentionally disorients you. Not to mention there is not too much of a damage
difference when in Devil Trigger Mode. Finally, the Style Meter, a feature I
strongly believe is now broken due to this game. It is far too easy compared to
previous games and is borderline pandering at certain points.

I
am by no stretch of the imagination a Devil May Cry fan. I never cared for old
Dante and thought the previous games lacked frame rate stability and cohesive
story. Flash ahead several years later and an entirely new team still can’t
write a better story. They have butchered both Vergil and Dante, though I feel
they could easily redeem Dante with some better writing. Overall DMC is a solid
game that has some huge missteps. The only reason I can see this getting high
scores is if you completely ignore the fact that previous Devil May Cry games
exist. If you are still on the fence I suggest getting Bayonetta or Muramasa
Demon Blade, because they are far more structurally sound than this title.